e.l.f. Beauty | ‘So Many Dicks’
Known for its playful, unexpected marketing, e.l.f. Beauty aimed its bold tactics squarely at the boardroom this year. Ads that took over New York’s Financial District highlighted a startling fact: There are more men named “Dick” on U.S. public company boards than women or diverse groups. A cheeky tagline—“So many dicks, so few of everyone else”—struck a chord, and the campaign went viral. The campaign was in service of e.l.f.’s “Change the Board Game” initiative, which aims to double the rate of women and diverse members added to corporate boards by 2027. In the game of gender equality in corporate spaces, the beauty brand has emerged as a positive, fearless, and unmissable cheerleader. –Brittaney Kiefer
Swehl | ‘Just Add Milk with Molly Baz’
The internet erupted with cries of censorship after Swehl’s billboard starring cookbook author Molly Baz, her pregnant belly, a rhinestone bikini, and two lactation cookies was deemed too spicy for the masses. Critics said out-of-home seller Clear Channel, which flagged the ad for review, exercised a double standard by judging the representation of women’s bodies in advertising. Capitalizing on the support with messaging and events, Swehl saw its website traffic jump 500%, drawing in 40,000 new users. The ensuing furor eventually pulled in supplement maker Seed, which revived the banned ad in the same Times Square space, and later formula startup Bobbie, which produced a sequel of sorts with a breastfeeding Baz. –T.L. Stanley